Over the last decade, U2 has embarked on Bono-centric tours and a Sphere residency centered around an album that came out over 30 years ago. And yet, this journey is leading them to the future.

Speaking to The Observer, Bono explained why U2 isn't a nostalgia act yet. He did concede that they've been “involved in some nostalgia,” but he pushed back against the idea they're a legacy act. Now, he has to “move back into the future,” where his band remains.

“Yeah, we have been involved in some nostalgia. But I would say, you have to know where you came from in order to be more effective in the present and the future,” he explained. “That’s the case in a different way with the book, the stage play[,] and now the film. I have a record of it all, but now, I have to move back into the future, which is where U2 always lived.”

Currently, U2 is working on their next album. Bono and The Edge are working with Brian Eno, who they previously collaborated with several times. Their new material has been described as “crazy, sci-fi Irish folk music.”

“We’re busy writing another reason to exist as a band,” Bono claimed. “I still find Brian an extraordinary inspiration[,] and I’m sure he still finds me quite frustrating. But I know he will keep on defending our right to be ecstatic in our music.”

U2's recent nostalgia trips

Bono is promoting the release of his Stories of Surrender film. It is a documentary concert film of his Stories of Surrender Tour. The film was directed by Andrew Dominik and will premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. The Stories of Surrender Tour concluded in May 2024. Bono performed a residency at the Beacon Theatre in New York City.

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During the show, Bono performed U2 songs and passages from his memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story. These included explorations of his relationship with his father and mother.

Before that, U2's Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience were centered around the singer. The former album was largely about his childhood. The latter was a collection of letters to his loved ones.

Their supporting tours featured autobiographical moments from Bono's past. He walked down a version of Cedarwood Road and sang to his wife, Ali, from his childhood bedroom.

In between the Innocence + Experience and Experience + Innocence Tours, U2 embarked on the Joshua Tree Tour. They honored their 1987 album's 30th anniversary by playing it in full. The tour had an extension in 2019 after the Experience + Innocence Tour concluded in 2018.

Despite the nostalgic concerts, U2 found ways to make the material relevant. The beauty of The Joshua Tree is how its lyrics are still relevant and applicable decades later.